rooms, with Room 54 at the southwest angle of the central hall, is
devoted to painters who either have influenced American art or represent
its earlier stages. Room 91, on the east side of the block, contains old
Dutch, Flemish, French, and Italian pictures, none very interesting,
though Teniers, Watteau and Tintoretto are represented. Rooms 92, 62,
and 61, constituting the tier next to the Italian section, show chiefly
examples of the French painters, including those of the Barbizon school,
who have influenced later American painting. Along with other names less
known, Room 92 displays canvases by Daubigny, Courbet, Charles Le Brun,
Meissonier, Tissot, Monticelli and Rousseau. It has two Corots, one a
delight. Room 62 is even more important. It offers a Millet, far from
typical; a capital Schreyer, two portraits by the German Von Lenbach, a
small but interesting sample of Alma Tadema's finished style, and the
sensational "Consolatrix Afflictorum" by Dagnan-Bouveret. Better still,
in Jules Breton's "The Vintage" and Troyon's "Landscape and Cattle" it
has two of the noblest paintings to be seen in the entire Palace,--
pictures that show these great masters at their best.
Room 61 is mainly devoted to the early Impressionists, with seven
canvases by their leader, Claude Monet, and other landscapes by Renoir,
Pissaro and Sisley, and a brilliant interior (No. 2343) by Gaston La
Touche. The pictures by Monet illustrate his progress from the hard
conventionalism of his early academic style (seen in 2636) to such
delightful embodiments of light and atmosphere as 2633 and 2637. The
gallery contains no more triumphant piece of Impressionism than the
saucy "Lady in Pink" by the Russian, Nicholas Fechin. The story set
afloat that it is the work of an untaught Russian peasant simply
testifies to ignorance of this master. Every splotch of color here
breathes technique. As if by way of contrast, the opposite wall shows
one of Puvis de Chavannes' classical murals, even more anaemic than
usual.
The large room No. 63 shows a Venetian sunset by Turner, two portraits
by Goya, another attributed to Velasquez, a splendid Raffaelesque
altar-piece by Tiepolo, the like of which rarely leaves Italy, and
canvases by Guido Reni, Ribera, and Van Dyke. Almost all the remaining
space is taken up by excellent examples of the British art that
influenced the early American painters, with some of prior date. Here
are canvases by Lely, Kneller, Hogarth, Reynolds, Gainsborough, Hoppner,
Beechey, Allan Ramsay, Lawrence, Raeburn, and Romney. The last four are
especially well represented. In this room, too, is the bronze replica of
Weinmann's figure, "The Setting Sun," here called "Descending Night."
American "Old Masters."--Following logically the English portrait
painters, the American historical section begins with Rooms 60 and 59.
The former is mainly filled with the work, much of it admirable, of the
early American portrait painters. Here are Gilbert Stuart's lovable
"President Monroe," Benjamin West's "Magdalen," and portraits by Peale,
Copley, West, Sully and others. In Room 59, the antiquarian interest
predominates, with a few fine portraits by Inman, Harding, King, and S.
F. B. Morse, who, besides inventor, was an artist. But nothing here
surpasses No. 1719 by Charles Loring Elliott, a canvas that is
irresistible in its vivid setting forth of personality. Room 58 brings
the story of American painting well past the middle of the Nineteenth
century, with typical examples of Bierstadt, Eastman Johnson and other
fading names. Room 57 contains a number of Edwin Abbey's finely
illustrative paintings, the most popular of which is his "Penance of
Eleanor," and a collection of his splendid drawings; also important
canvases by Theodore Robinson and John La Farge. Room 64 covers a wide
sweep, from Church's archaic "Niagara Falls" down to Stephen Parrish,
Eakins, Martin, the Morans, Hovenden, and Remington. Edward Moran's
"Brush Burning" (2649) is capital. Room 54, the last of the American
historical rooms, is perhaps the most important, finely showing Inness,
Wyant, Winslow Homer, Hunt, and other American masters.
Modern American Painting.--We come now to the great and splendid
representation of present-day painters. In noting these, the artists
achieving grand prizes, medals of honor or gold medals will often be
mentioned; but a full list of such honors will be found at the end of
this chapter. It should be remembered that no member of a jury, and no
man who received the honor of a separate room, was eligible for award.
In general, it may be said, the Exposition puts forward the work of
artists who have "arrived" since the opening of the century. In
accordance with this helpful policy, older painters who had won many
honors at previous exhibitions were passed over for the encouragement of
younger men. It should also be noted that awards were not made for
particular pictures, but upon each artist's exhibit as a whole.
Rooms 55, 56, 65 and 85 show contemporary Americans,--the last two with
great credit. No. 65 is a large room of canvases by American women
painters. One who has not kept abreast of woman's work in art in this
country has a surprise awaiting him in the the high quality shown here.
Two pictures by Ellen Rand (2919, 2918), Mary Curtis Richardson's
captivating "Young Mother" and her "Professor Paget" (3000, 3002), and
Alice Stoddard's inimitably girlish group, "The Sisters" (3329), will
reward very careful study of their sincerity and strength of treatment.
Especially brilliant are the works of Cecilia Beaux and M. Jean McLane,--
the first winning the Exposition's medal of honor, the latter rather
theatrical in their gayety of color. Here also is a canvas (2743) by
Violet Oakley, another honor medallist.
Room 85 is enriched by the canvases of Charles Walter Stetson, Horatio
Walker, Charles W. Hawthorne, Douglas Volk (gold medal), and George de
Forest Brush. Volk's three charming pictures deserve to be better hung.
The Stetson group illustrates the Impressionist method and result as
well as anything in the Palace. Take his "Smugglers" or his "Summer Joy"
(3311, 3317), and note how a few heavy and apparently meaningless dabs
of color may be laid side by side on canvas in such a way that, when
seen from a distance, they blend, until the picture not only outlines
figures and foliage, but also glows with atmosphere, life and movement.
These rooms complete the south half of the American section, with the
exception of the very interesting, though not fully adequate, Whistler
Room, 28; the Print Rooms, 29 to 34, in the tier along the west wall,
and five more one-man rooms along the east wall. These five, in their
order from the main entrance are: No. 87, devoted to the old-masterlike
works of Frank Duveneck, who, more perhaps than any other American,
shows the great manner of Velasquez, Rembrandt and Franz Hals, and to
whom the jury has recommended that a special medal be given for his
influence on American art; No. 88 filled with the admirable
Impressionist landscapes of E. W. Redfield; 89 and 93, given up to the
widely contrasted work of Edmund C. Tarbell and John H. Twachtman, each
in his own fashion a master and enjoying a well-earned popularity,
Twachtman's pictures in particular commanding almost as high prices as
those of the men in Room 54; and No. 90, just off the Tarbell room,
containing a small loan collection which very incompletely represents
William Keith. Five other individual rooms are north of the main
entrance: No. 79, portraits and still life by William M. Chase; 78,
Childe Hassam's radically Impressionist work; 77, Gari Melchers'
pictures of Dutch types and scenes; 76, the charming western pictures of
Arthur F. Mathews and Francis McComas, both Californians; and 75, the
John S. Sargent room, containing among other works his famous early
portrait of Mme. Gautrin, his "John Hay," and the sympathetic portrait
of Henry James which was mutilated by the British suffragettes. All
these one-man rooms exhibit characteristic work of the men thus
distinguished, though the younger men are the more completely
represented. The Whistler, Keith, Chase and Sargent rooms, which may be
classed with the historical block, show few of the best-known
masterpieces of these artists.
Room 80, cut out of the northeast corner of the central hall, a gallery
of well restrained pictures, contains the interesting work in light and
color of William McG. Paxton, member of the jury; portraits and figures
by Leslie P. Thompson (silver medal), Philip L. Hale's warm-toned
portraits, the delicate but brilliant landscapes of Willard L. Metcalf
(medal of honor), and those by Philip Little (silver medal). The
portraits are in the older academic style; the landscapes, modern. Rooms
67 and 68 are distinguished by some notable landscapes and marines. No.
67 shows Emil Carlsen's fresh "Open Sea," his single picture here, but
the winner of a medal of honor, and Albert Laessle's small animal
sculptures (gold medal), and capital examples of Paul Dougherty, J. F.
Carlson, Leonard Ochtman and Ben Foster. No. 68 holds two fine snowy
landscapes by W. Elmer Schofield (medal of honor), two engaging studies
in brown by Daniel Garber, brilliant figures by J. C. Johansen, and
California coast views by William Ritschel. The last three artists are
gold medallists.
Room 69 is made noteworthy by works of three of the nine American
winners of the medal of honor,--Lawton Parker's voluptuous "Paresse"
and two portraits, and single paintings by John W. Alexander and Richard
E. Miller (1035, 2606). Alexander's airy "Phyllis" is his only picture
in the Palace. Miller shows one more canvas, a colorful "Nude" (2607) in
Room 47. Room 70 is entirely devoted to portrait painters, among them
Julian Story, H. G. Herkomer, Robert Vonnoh, and Irving C. Wiles (3668),
the latter two both winners of the gold medal. No. 74 shows admirable
small landscapes, among them the "Group of White Birches" by Will S.
Robinson (silver medal), Charles C. Allen's "Mountain and Cloud," and
land and water views by Charles J. Taylor, especially No. 3404. Room 73
shows good landscapes by Ernest Lawson (gold medal), Paul King (silver
medal), and the two Beals. Gifford Beal's work won a gold medal. Room
72, a gallery in the academic style, contains a variety of portraits,
figure paintings and landscapes, including W. R. Leigh's spirited
"Stampede," and the more conventional work of Walter MacEwen. No. 71 is
another varied room. In addition to some landscapes, the visitor will be
struck by the small but exquisite exhibit in gold, enamel, and precious
stones of Louis C. Tiffany.
The western tier of this section, Rooms 43-51, contains work of all
grades of merit. No. 43 is conglomerate. Perham Nahl's well drawn
"Despair" (2690) is perhaps best worth mention. In No. 44 Putthuff's two
brown western scenes and Clarkson's portrait of E. G. Keith are
interesting. No. 45 is better. Walter Griffin's opulent landscapes
(medal of honor) are well worth studying. Here also are two canvases by
Robert Reid, one almost Japanese in its effect; the restrained
landscapes of William Sartain, and Charles Morris Young's sharply
contrasting "Red Mill' and "Gray Mill," with his characteristic wintry
landscapes. Reid and Young won the gold medal. In No. 46 are a
half-dozen delicately handled landscapes by Frank V. Du Mond, a member
of the jury. In No. 47 E. L. Blumenschein's warm Indian pictures and A.
L. Groll's desert scenes won silver medals. But the best thing here is
Richard E. Miller's "Nude," already mentioned.
On the east wall of Room 48 hangs "Sleep," the best of the eight
canvases shown by Frederic Carl Frieseke, distinguished above all other
American painters in the palace by the Exposition's grand prize. Seven
other pictures by Frieseke, interesting by reason of comparison with
this masterpiece, hang in Room 117. In Gallery 48 are also some good
landscapes,--Robert Vonnoh's "Bridge at Grez" and Cullen Yates'
"November Snow." In No. 49, a better balanced room than most in this
tier, three walls are made noteworthy by J. Alden Weir's luminous and
Impressionist landscapes, and D. W. Tryon's more academic canvases. Weir
was the chairman of the jury for oil paintings. No. 50 is dominated by
Sergeant Kendall, in both painting and sculpture. In the first he won
the gold medal, in the second the silver medal. Room 51 has been called
the "Chamber of Horrors," because it shows several of the extremists;
but it has some masterpieces. Staring things by John Sloan, William J.
Glackens, Adolphe Borie, and Arthur B. Caries are relieved by H. H.
Breckinridge's highly colored fruits and flowers, Gertrude Lampert's
"Black and Green," Thomas Anshutz' two studies of women, and several of
Robert Henri's strong figure pieces.
In the extreme northern end of the gallery, beyond the foreign sections,
is a tier of four rooms, 117-120, ranging from the mediocre to the
admirable. In No. 117 are seven interesting canvases by Frieseke, the
grand-prize winner, already mentioned. These pictures show the artist's
scope. No. 1816 and others are strikingly like Plinio Nomellini's No. 86
in the Italian section. No. 1811 is as different from these as "Sleep"
is from all the rest. In the same room are Mora's "Vacation Time" (2645)
and Tanner's "Christ at the Home of Lazarus" (3370), both winners of the
gold medal. Room 118 holds the pictures of several gold-medal winners,
the "Promenade" (1185) by Max Bohm; the noble "Lake Louise" (1246) by H.
J. Breuer, whose pictures of the Canadian Rockies are also to be found
in Rooms 56 and 58; the tender "Spring" (1972) by W. D. Hamilton, worthy
of a better place; and H. L. Hoffman's clearlighted "A Mood of Spring"
(2116), and his vivid "Savannah Market" (2115).
Room 119 is filled with water-colors, drawings, engravings and etchings.
Room 120 holds George Bellows' Post-Impressionistic canvases, Myron
Barlow's well-drawn figures, W. D. Hamilton's speaking likeness of
Justice McKenna (1971), Charles H. Woodbury's "The Bark" (3692), and
Waldo Murray's portrait of "Robert Fowler" (366), wrongly catalogued
with the International section. All these painters won gold medals. This
is perhaps the best room in this tier.
In the tier on the western wall devoted to the minor forms of art,
Howard Pyle's illustrations occupy two small rooms, 41 and 42. The first
contains ink sketches, the second his works in characteristic color.
Room 40 is devoted to admirable miniatures and to water colors. Here on
the east wall are Jules Guerin's vividly colored Oriental scenes, which
won the gold medal. The walls of Room 39 are given up to a series of
charming pastels by John McClure Hamilton. No. 39 also contains cases of
medals, as does No. 38. Room 37 is devoted to miniatures, and 36 to
drawings.
In the section known as the "Print Rooms," 29-34, along the west wall,
are hundreds of famous etchings. This branch of art, old and respected
through the examples offered by early masters like Albrecht Durer and
Rembrandt, has still to be fully appreciated. It has come to the public
slowly, the layman who likes and buys pictures more often holding aloof
from the thing called an etching. That there is now a closer
acquaintance than before is due in large measure to Joseph Pennell.
Working through the practical, he allied his art years ago with such
subjects as bridge and railroad building, and by giving the public an
easier avenue of approach, has attracted it to the beauty of this method
of art. The print rooms show dozens of Pennell's etchings, with those of
Whistler and many others. Whistler's etchings, lithographs, and drawings
are in No. 29, Pennell's in No. 31. Room 30 holds the work of Henry
Wolf, winner of the grand prize. B. A. Wehrschmidt, an honor medallist,
is represented in Room 119. J. Andre Smith, Herman A. Webster and
Cadwallader Washburn are in Room 32, Allen Lewis and Gustav Baumann
(gold medals) are in Room 34. Room 28 holds the loan collection of
Whistler's works, already mentioned, chiefly from the National Gallery,
Washington. Room 27 contains photographic reproductions of painting and
sculpture. Room 26 is devoted to original drawings for illustration.
The Foreign Sections.--These are placed north and south of the United
States collections. In the extreme south end, Japan occupies a large
block of rooms, numbered from 1 to 10. With this abundant floor and wall
space at her disposal, that country left nothing undone to make her art
exhibit comprehensive and beautiful. The display stands alone for
completeness. Japan's art is as old as her history; and now, with her
advent among the modern nations, she has added Occidental art to her
more ancient forms. The essayal, as shown here, is still beyond her, but
the strides are noteworthy. In the wonderful display of her own art, she
shows both the beauties of antiquity and the masterpieces of her present
day artists. The paintings upon silk, landscape embroideries,
porcelains, ink drawings, metal work, and scrolls will occupy the art
lover many hours.
France adjoins Japan, filling a block of rooms from 12 to 18, and Italy
follows, in Rooms 21 to 25. The intervening rooms, Nos. 19 and 20, are
assigned respectively to Uruguay and Cuba.
The French and Italian exhibits had to wait for the arrival of the
Jason. Now they are installed, and beautifully hung and set. Though
France is the home of the Post-Impressionists, and Italy that of the
Futurists, the flagrancy of neither of these schools is on view here.
Both countries show their best balanced art since 1905. In the French
exhibit, the mode of the day prevails, color, luminosity, richness of
texture. All that differentiates the art of France to-day from that of
other countries is her own inimitable, delicate, inherent taste and
touch. The subject matters little; the French perception and execution
are there. Where other canvases offer--say a beautiful glow--the
French picture "vibrates." If other works are finished, these have
finesse. There is similar spirit in the Italian galleries, with a
variation due to national characteristics rather than to difference of
opinion or method. The Italian pictures fully occupy the mind and eye;
the French often fascinate by something more than skill and color. Both
countries have placed their older art, and some of its best, in their
official pavilions.
France.--In the French Section, Room 12 contains a diverse collection
of water color, drawing, engraving, and painting, among the latter,
Henry Grosjean's "The Bottoms" (365). Room 13, full of strongly
contrasting work, is distinguished by Maurice Denis' daring decorative
panels. Here also is Claude Monet's "Vetheuil" (452), the same scene,
though not the same picture, as his No. 2634 in Room 61. Comparison is
interesting for the difference in touch, though both were painted in the
same year. Francois Flameng is represented here by "Paris" (346), not so
compelling as his "Madame Letellier" (345), and "Fete Venetienne" (344),
in Rooms 18 and 14. Room 14, containing a good many decorative canvases,
has also, besides Flameng's "Fete," two of the extreme Impressionistic
paintings of Henri Martin, "The Lovers" (432), and his own dim "Self
Portrait" (433). Two colorful Breton scenes (302) by Darrieux, and (406)
by Le Gout-Gerard stand out on the north wall. Room 15 shows some
charming pieces,--Lucien Simon's strongly contrasting work in the
spiritual "Communicants" (494) and his barbaric "Gondola" (495);
Domergue's "The Frog" (324), Besnard's glowing "Gipsy" (255), and
Lemordant's "The Wind" (409). These last give a strong color to the
room, relieved by Leroux' calm "Lake" (416), and Maury's delicate young
girls (440).
Room 16 is better balanced. Remembering "The Frog," Domergue's
versatility appears in the portrait of Gina Mabille, the danseuse. A
delicate bit of Impressionism in Le Sidanier's "The Harbor: Landernau"
(418). Two canvases by Menard are hung here. His "Opal Sea" (445) is
charming. Auburtin's decorative panels hang on the north wall. One of
the most notable works of P. Franc Lamy, his golden "Venice: Morning"
(393), will be found on the west wall.
Room 17 shows little of striking interest. Augustin Hanicotte, one of
the few French painters to adopt the strong colors and lights of the
Scandinavian artists, is represented by the gay "Winter in the Low
Country" (381). Andre Dauchez' "Le Pouldu" (304) is a fine brown lowland
landscape. In spirit, though in richer colors, Jean Veber's captivating
"Little Princess" (515) reminds one of John Bauer's Swedish fairy-tale
pictures. Strength and truthfulness characterize Jeanniot's fine group
of Norman fisherfolk (388). (See p. 125.)
Room 18 is better. Note Marie Cazin's "Diana Asleep" (289), done in a
single brown. Here, too, is Flameng's "Portrait of Madame Letellier"
(345). A soft, delicate bit of landscape is Brouillet's "Among the
Dunes" (272), which deserves better than to be hung in a corner. One who
has seen the Futurist pictures in the Annex should not overlook here
Albert Guillaume's "Le Boniment" (370), a rich burlesque on Futurist
art.
Italy.--No other section in the Palace is so finely hung as the
Italian. As no attempt has been made to crowd the rooms, each canvas is
properly placed. Room 21 holds the most important paintings honored by
the jury. On the west wall is the work of Ettore Tito, the winner of the
grand prize, five canvases demonstrating both his versatility and his
mastery of color. On the north and south walls are the medal-of-honor
pictures of Onorato Carlandi and Camillo Innocenti, the latter striking
in their golden tone. Coromaldi's rich harvest scenes (26, 27), and a
Leonardo Bazzaro (4) (both gold medallists), hang on the east wall. Not
to be overlooked, though passed by the jury, are Casciaro's warm
landscapes on the north wall and Ricci's "Butterflies" (96), which help
to make this collection one of splendid color.
Room 22 also glows with color. Ferraguti's "Portrait in Red" (46) (gold
medal) holds the place of honor on the west wall. On the north wall is
the glowing "Fiametta" (49) by Matilde Festa Piacentini, wife of the
architect of the Italian Pavilion, and beside it the equally warm
"Golden Rays" (47) by Ferretti. On the east wall burns Traiano
Chitarin's "Evening Fires" (31). Among the sculpture is Dazzi's
"Portrait of a Lady" (160) (gold medal).
Room 23 holds the greater portion of the sculpture, including Amigoni's
simple "Adolescence" (151), Brozzi's spirited "Animals" (155), in
relievo on bronze, Graziosi's "Susanna" (165), and Pagliani's "On the
Beach" (180). All of these won gold medals, but the really striking
piece in the room is "Proximus Tuus" (162), the weary peasant, by
Achille D'Orsi. Of the few paintings nothing is very remarkable, though
Bazzani's "Arch of Septimus Severus" (3) is interesting for its
workmanship.
Room 24 presents extremely varied styles from Morani's No. 80 to
Domenico Irolli's heavily painted "Violin Player" (64), and Enrico
Lionne's gorgeous purple figures in the extreme of Impressionism. One of
Nomellini's effects in light and shade appears in No. 86, on the east
wall. Paolo Sala's "Along the Thames" (100) deserves better place and
notice. Irolli, Lionne and Nomellini are gold medallists.
Room 25, without any remarkable canvases, is very pleasing as an example
of harmonious hanging. This is best illustrated by the west wall where
hang four pictures by the three Ciardis, Beppe, Emma, and Guiseppe, and
one, No. 6, by Bartolomeo Bezzi, the group admirably centered by Beppe
Ciardi's large "Venetian Scene" (32). All three of the Ciardis won gold
medals. In the center of the north wall is a fine ruddy sunset (102) by
Francesco Sartorelli. The south wall is dominated by Z. V. Zanetti's
richly decorative "Tree" (116). Beside it, on the cut-off of the wall,
is Guiseppe Mentessi's gripping "Soul of the Stones" (75). Mentessi won
the gold medal with this picture, as Italo Brass did with his "Bridge
Across the Lagoon" (10). Sculpture in this room is represented by small
bronzes and Ernesto Biondi's almost terrible "St. Francis d'Assisi"
(154).
Uruguay.--The Uruguayan exhibit of painting and sculpture is in one
small room, No. 19, against the west wall, next to France. The work has
characteristics in common with that of the south of Europe, and shows
national feeling. Manuel Rose (52-57) was awarded a gold medal.